Wossman High School freshman, Syre Jackson, has earned many honors in his young academic career, but the one he received Monday night came with a lesson—and a laugh.
In front of his peers in the “Black Tie Guys” mentoring program, Jackson was handed a crisp $100 “pat on the back” for something every student, no matter how gifted, must one day learn: how to bounce back from a setback.
Jackson is no stranger to success. A former lifelong straight-A student and the City School System’s 2024 Junior High Student of the Year, he is known for excellence in the classroom, poise in public, and a maturity beyond his years.
Last year’s “D” was a stumble
Yet last year, he repeatedly struggled with the lowest grade of his life—a D in math. It shook his confidence and gave fuel to a few teasing friends in the Black Tie Guys organization. Some scholars in the group teased him for being a student at “D” Wossman High School instead of “The” Wossman High.
Instead of sulking, Jackson did what achievers do: he recovered and decided to turn things around; he couldn’t be an asset to the school or achieve his personal goals if he accepted failure.
“$100 pat on the back”
He sought help, put in the extra time, and turned the grade around. With a big smile, he presented his “Straight A report card” at the Black Tie Meeting and impressed everyone. The comeback impressed his mentors so much that he was given a standing ovation by other Black Tie Members, including those who had teased him.
On behalf of the Black Tie Guys, Roger and Shari Thompson, program mentors, presented him with a symbolic $100 bill—not as a reward for perfection, but as a pat on the back for his comeback.
“That D taught me something,” Jackson said afterward. “You can’t let one failure define you. You fix it, you grow from it, and you keep going.”
Jackson arrived at Wossman this fall with a mission. He was a well-known name at Martin Luther King Jr. High, but at Wossman, he would be a freshman, a newbie, who had no name or reputation. So he set out to change that.
Introduction to Principal
Before school opened, he called the principal, Mrs. Dena Sampson, and introduced himself. On the first day of school, he shook hands with her, looked her in the eye, and declared, confidently, that he planned “to be an asset to the school” and to graduate with a 4.0 GPA.
“Remember my face, remember my name,” he said.
Loves politics
His ambition doesn’t stop there. Jackson studies politics and history for fun, reads deeply into current issues, and is already mapping out his future.
At Monday’s meeting of the Black Tie Guys—a Tab-N-Action, Inc. mentoring program for young men—Jackson showed why he stands out. As members ate pizza and discussed topics like assets, budgets, credit, and contracts, Jackson posed a question few teenagers would think to ask:
“Did anybody analyze President Trump’s 60 Minutes interview?” Between pizza and drinks, he didn’t get many answers, but that was on his mind.
Last year, as the organization showed how the President of the United States impacts student lives, Jackson surprised mentors with his comparison of the campaign platforms of both candidates, and referenced Kamala Harris’ Democratic platform proposals, and quoted from the 900-page Republican “Project 2025” policy plan, which he actually read.
Travels with the Black Tie Guys
Jackson has traveled with the Black Tie Guys across several states, visiting Presidential libraries and universities. He uses the trademark Black Tie Guy introduction everywhere he goes: he gives a firm handshake, states his name, his goals, and exactly where he intends to be in ten years.
For now, he intends to make a difference at Wossman—academically, socially, and intellectually. In intends to be an asset at the school, that’s what he promised the principal. His mentors say he already is.
“Syre reminds us that success isn’t just about never falling,” said director Roosevelt Wright Jr. “I’ve worked with thousands of youth over the years. Syre is a leader of his generation, without a doubt.”
A “D” in math may have shaken him in Jr. High, but it didn’t break him. He’s now back on track to complete his high school years with a perfect 4.0 record.
And if his comeback is any sign of what lies ahead, Wossman—and the world—should remember his face and prepare to hear the name Syre Jackson again.
